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NASA astronauts are doing something astonishing

Two NASA astronauts are planning on recreating the lesson plans of Christa McAuliffe, the teacher killed on the shuttle Challenger.

It was one of the worst disasters in American history when the space shuttle Challenger exploded mid-launch back in the summer of 1985. Among the fatalitlies was Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher who was to be the first private citizen ever in space, having been selected out of more than 11,000 applicants.

During the space flight which she never made, she was going to film science lessons that would be sent throughout the country. And now, a couple of NASA astronauts are going to make that happen 33 years after that fateful launch.

Ricky Arnold and Joe Acaba will be creating some of those lesson plans while on the International Space Station in the coming months. They will film four lessons on liquids in zero gravity, chromatography, Newton’s laws, and effervescence. Some will be created according to Christa McAuliffe’s original lesson plans, while some will be reimagined.

“We are thrilled to work with NASA’s educator astronauts to bring Christa’s lessons to life,” said Lance Bush, president and CEO, Challenger Center. “For more than 30 years, we have continued the mission of the Challenger crew, reaching more than 5 million students with our hands-on STEM programs. We are honored to have the opportunity to complete Christa’s lessons and share them with students and teachers around the world.”